Gearshift control



March 10, 1%42.

E. s. M pPHERSQN GEAR SHIFT CONTROL 5 Sheets-Sheei 1 Filed May 17, 1939 (Ittomegs Mamh 1Q, 1942. s MacPHERSON 2,275,?79

GEAR SHIFT CONTROL Filed May 17, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nnentbr attorneus March 10', 1942.

E. S. M PHERSON GEAR SHIFT CONTROL Filed May 17, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 March w, 1942. E. s. MaOF'HERSON 2,275,779

GEAR SHIFT CONTROL Fild May 17, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 10, 1942. E. s. MacPHERsON 2,275,779

GEAR SHIFT CONTROL Filed May 17, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Zhwentor (Ittornegs jPatenteei ar. 10, 1942 GEARSHIFI CONTROL Earle S. MacPhe'rson, Detroit, Mich., asslgnor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Delaware Application May 1'1, 1939, Serial No. 274,141

This invention relates to the control of the ratio changing mechanism of a motor vehicle. It is more particularly concerned with an assembly including remotely positioned means to change the ratios bywhich the engine drives the propeller shaft.

The objects of the invention include a simplifled assembly of parts, a convenient arrangement for associating a power booster with a manually operable member and an improved arrangement within the gear box whereby frictional resistance to selection of ratios and shifting is minimized.

Other objects and advantages will be understood from the specification which follows.

On thedrawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing the several parts in their relation to each other.

Figure 2 is a sectional view as seen from line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation partly broken away of the parts at the lower column.

Figure 4 is'a view-as seen from line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view substantially as seen from line 5-5 of Figure 3.

- Figure 6 is a view in elevation of a reactionary lever system with parts broken away and in seeon.

Figure '1 is a section on line 1-1 of Figure 6. Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Figure 6. Figure 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a view in elevation of a modified form of a reaction lever assembly.

Figure 11 is a section on line l|-ll of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a section on line l2- l2 of Figure l0. On Figure 1 is illustrated the frame l5 of a motor vehicle. Numeral i1 is used to designate the engine. The change speed gear box is end of the steering t marked l9. At 2i is a steering column and at the upper end of the column is hand steering wheel 23. V

The gear box contains ratio changing gears a conventional one of which is marked 25 in Figure 8. It is not necessary to describe the gearing further than to explain that sliding shifting members 21 and 29 are used, these shifting members having arms 3| and 33 extending transversely of the gear box and operable to reciprocate the gears and clutches. The members 21 and 29 are arranged in superposed relation and located at one side of the housing l9 adjacent a removable cover 35. A guiding member-31 of l-i-shape is carried preftween its ends the guide 31 has a vertical passage 43 at the ends of which are steel balls 45 pressed apart by a spring 41. The balls are adapted to enter notches 49 in the members 21 and 29 corresponding to the neutral and active positions of each shifting member. Each shifting member is provided with a pin 5!. The pins engage internal notches 53 of a floating lever 55: Journaled in the cover 35 is a shaft 51. Within the gear box the shaft 51 has an arm 59 from which projects a pin 6i entering an opening at an intermediate part of lever 55. A spring 63 holds the lever in position on the pins 5|. Rocking of,

the members 21 or 29, the following provision is made. -Journaled in the cover 35 is a rockshaft 55. It has an inner lever arm 51 from the end of which extends a pin, 69 adapted to enter one or the other of notches 1| and 13 in the shifting members 21 and 29. The rockshaft' 65 has an I external lever arm 15. When the terminal pin 4 59 is in notch 13 as shown in Figure 8, rotation of shaft 51 will rock lever 55 about the lower pin 5| and the upper shift member 21 will he reciprocated from a neutral to one or the other V of its active positions depending upon the direc-.'

tion of rotation of shaft 51. When member 21 is locked by the pin 69 therotation of shaft 51 will reciprocate member 29. Rocking of shaft 81 is effected by the use of an external arm 11.

This arm is formed by two parallel parts 19 having integral keys 8| received in a keyway 83 of the shaft. The upper ends of parts 19 above the shaft are split and a clamping bolt 85 secures the arm to the shaft. ure 6.

Just beneath the steering wheel is a lever 81.

This lever moves in one plane, the plane of the paper in Figure 2, to rockshaft 65 and thereby lock from reciprocation one or the other of the shift members 21 or 29. This same lever 81 is adapted to swing about an axis parallel with the steering column to rock shaft 51 andmak the reciprocating movements of members 21 or 29. Lever 81 extends at substantially a right angle to and may be integral with-a shaft 89 which ex- This is shown in Fig tends along the steering column. At its upper end shaft 88 is mounted for rotation and reciprocation in a bracket 8| carried by the steering column. A sleeve 83 shaped as best shown in Figure 2 is rotatable within bracket 8|, there being a threaded connection at 85 affording the rotatable relation. A hollow arm 81 houses the upper end of shaft 88 and the lever 81. It terminates in a hand grip 88. Within the hollow arm is an enlargement I8I on the lever 81, the enlargement filling the space within the arm. A pin I83 pivotally connects arm 81 with the sleeve 83. A spring I85 has an intermediate coil I81, an end I88 seated in a notch of sleeve 83 and another end bent to fit lever 81 adjacent the enlargement I8I. The tension of this spring biases the lever 81 and with it the: arm or sleeve 81 to a downward position. A lifting movement given hand grip 88 causes a rocking movement of sleeve 81 about its pivot I83. This movement causes the enlargement I8I to rise and thus forces an upward vertical reciprocation of shaft 88. R- tary movements of the hand grip in one direction or the other about the axis of shaft 88 cause shaft 88 to rotate.

-At a position on the steering column beneath the floor of the driving compartment there is secured to the steering column by a U-bolt III, a U-shaped plate I I3. This plate carries a sleeve II for rotatably and reciprocably carrying the lower part of shaft 88. A clamping bolt II1 secures to the end of shaft 88 a hub from which proiect a pair of arms H8 and I2I. Arm H8 is short and arm I2I is relatively long as will be seen by reference to Figure 4. Long arm I2I has a block I23 swivelled thereto'and to this block is secured the end of a rod I25 whereby rotation of shaft 88 functions to reciprocate in one direction or the other the rod I25. The U-shaped 'plate H3 is formed with an integral extension I21. This extension supports a block I28 which is formed at one end with a passage I3I for the rotatable support of a pin I32. The pin has an arm I33 terminating in a bent end I35 which is positioned between the two arms H8 and I2I. In consequence of this construction reciprocation of shaft 88 rotates the pin I32 in its bearing I3I. Beyond the bearing a lever arm I31 is fixedly secured to the pin. To its end is swivelled a block I38 carrying the end of and I. By this arrangement reciprocation of rod I is effected by up and down movements of shaft 88. To bias the shaft 88 to its downward position there is used a spring I43 seated against the bracket: H3 and also against a cup I45 engaging any suitable ,abutment on shaft 88. An anti-rattling spring I41 may also be used on pin I32 between the Journal and an abutment I48 carried by thepin. Adjacent the change speed transmission cover 35 the lever arm 15 extending from rockshaft is connected to the end of rod I4I.; It will there fore be understood that hand lever 81 is normally held in its lower position in which position the connections including rod I operate to lock from reciprocation the shifting member 28 which controls low speed and reverse. Rocking of leverv 11, therefore, functions to make shifts to high speed or second speed. If it be desired to shift into low speed or reverse, the hand grip 88 is lifted and the connections including rod I4I operate to lock the shifting member 21 which con- I servo device to relieve the operator in large meastrols high speed and second speed. Thereafter rotation, of shaft'51 by its lever 11 makesshifts from neutral to low or reverse depending upon the direction of rotation of shaft 51. The springs ure of the effort which would otherwise be required. A substantially conventional vacuum cylinder is designated on the drawings by numeral I48. It has as usual a piston not shown which may move in either direction of the axis of the cylinder under the influence of a suitable valve, also not shown, by which subatmospheric pressure from the engine manifold I5I is made use of by a connecting conduit I53. Jointly with the opening of the space on one sideof the piston to the conduit I53 by the control valve, the other side of the piston is to be evacuated and for this purpose it is arranged to communicate with the atmosphere by pipe I55. No novelty is herein claimed for the vacuum cylinder nor for its controlling valve. No further description, need be given except to state that the valve is controlled. by a rod I51 reciprocable in one direction or the other and that the valve so controls the movements of the piston as to cause movements of piston rod or link members I58.

Rod I25 is connected to a branch I5I of a lever I53 whichis rotatably supported on shaft 51 between the arms 18 of lever 11 as shown in Figure 8. A pivotI55 on lever 11 rotatably carries a lever I51. Lever.I51 has a rounded upper end I58 socketed in a recess I1I of lever- I53. Through the lower end of lever I51 and also through the ends of piston rod links I58 is a'pin I58. A pair of plates I1I, I1I' are secured to-- gether and to the opposite sides of a second branch I13 of lever I53. A protecting housing I15 may also be used. As shown in Figure 8 it has an opening surrounding shaft 51 and is secured to lever I53 by a bolt I11. 1A rubber ring I18 surrounds the branch I5I where it projects through the wall of housing I15. Connected to the housing and to the vacuum cylinder is a bellows I8I of rubber or the like. The endsof plates "I, IN remote from their connection with lever branch I13 have registering openings I83, I83v These openings surround the pin I58 but are dimensioned to afford a clearance relative to the pin. The lower extremities I88 of arms 18 of lever 11 are slotted as shown at I85 in Figure 8 to form forks and the forks straddle the pin I58 in spaced relation thereto. When shaft 88 is rotated in one direction or the other it reciprocates rod I25 in one direction or the other as explained above. To simplify the explanation it may be assumed that rod I25 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 6. Such a movement rotates lever I53 clockwise about shaft 51. In doing so, plates I1I, I1I' are moved to the left (Figure 7). The connections I81, I81 between the members "I, IN and the valve rod' I51 serve to open the valve and cause the'piston within cylinder I48 to move in such a direction as to occasion a movement of the piston rod arms I58 to the left. Since the arms I58 are connected to pin I58 the latter is moved to the left. This movement of pin I58 tends to rotate lever I51 clockwise about its pivot I58 and thereby tends to rotate lever I53 counterclockwise about shaft 51 owing to the connection at I58. The attempt to rotate lever I53 counterclockwise isopposedbymanual effort operating through I of that shown by the .at I83 for straddling A movement of rod the valve as the piston on rod I25.

rod I25 and tending to rotate lever I63 in a clockwise direction. The leverage through which the manual effort operates is such that a slight pull on the rod manually will balance a considerable effort asserted by the power cylinder tending to rotate the lever I63 in the opposite direction. The balance of the two forces serves to lock I 61 to lever 11 and the combined manual and power forces thereby rotate shaft 51 in a clockwise direction. As the piston so moves, its relation to the valve mechanism is changed as to close the valve and a further pull on rod I25 is required to continue the rotation of shaft 51. There is thus present the well-known "follow-up action. In this way the manual eifort is of the same kind but of less degreethan if it operated as the sole source of shifting. Since the effort required of the operator to prevent the rotation of lever I61 is much less than force exerted by the power cylinder the operator is required to perform only a small part, perhaps of the work of shifting. It will be understood that a movement of rod I in a direction the reverse arrow is efiected by an opposite rotation of hand lever 19 and that it reciprocates the shifting members and the gear box in the opposite direction. In the event of failure of the power source the members HI and HI directly contact the pin I59 and the shift is made solely by manual effort.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 show a modified form which the reaction lever may assume. In this modified form, shaft 51 has secured thereto a lever I11. To the lever I11 thereis pivoted at I19 a lever I BI, the latter having a forked end shaft 51 with a suitable clearance. Also pivoted to lever I11 at I85 is a lever I81 having an end I89 received in a recess I9I of lever I9I. Rod I25 is connected by a yoke I93 to lever I8I at I95. A pair of links I91 are also connected to lever I8i. These links are connected to the valve operating rod I51. The links have slots I 99 straddling a pin ZOI which connects the ends of the arm 205 of lever I81. There may be a housing 201 and a rubber guard 209 to protect the operating parts as before. In this form of the invention the operation is substantially the same. I25 in the direction of the arrow causes lever IBI direction about its pivot I19. tends to close the gap between I8I and the shaft 51. If there is no power available it actually does close the gap and operates by manual efiort alone to rotate shaft 51. If the servo power is available the aforesaid rotation of lever I8I opens the valve through the instrumentality of links I91 and then the piston of the power cylinder moves in a direction such that the rods 203 move to the left. Such a movement, tends to turn lever I81. Any turning In doing so it the forks of lever to rock in a clockwise piston rod links 203 to an of I 91 would occasion a counterclockwise of mtation of lever-18f. This is,- however, resisted by a manual on rod I35. The parts are therefore in effect locked together and shaft 51 is rotated. The movement intermittently closes moves and the continuous rotation of shaft 51 requires a continued pull There is, the invention the same reaction effect and the same follow-up" action.

therefore, in this form of shaft rotatably The simple means for locking one of the slidable shifting members very largely eliminates friction in the gear box, an object clearly to be desired in a remote control for ratio changing.

The simplified form of reactionazy lever involves a considerable economy in production.

I claim:

1. In a ratio changing mechanism, a housing, a longitudinally extending guide with upper and lower flanges, each with extensions on opposite sides of the vertical plane of the guide, vertically spaced shifting members each embracing the two extensions of one of said flanges and slidable relative thereto, said shifting members carrying projecting arms to engage sli'dablemembers of said transmission.

2. In a ratio changing mechanism, a housing, a longitudinally extending guide having vertically disposed flanges, vertically disposed shifting members slidable along said flanges, said shifting members carrying projecting arms to engage slidable members of said transmission, said guide having an intermediate vertical passage and detent devices in said passage for said shifting members.

3. In a ratio changing mechanism, a' housing, a longitudinally extending guide having verti cally disposed flanges, vertically disposed shifting members slidable along said flanges, said shifting members carrying projecting arms to engage slidable members of said transmission, each of said shifting members having a pin, a lever having terminal openings receiving said pins, means to lock either of said shifting members from reciprocation on its flange and means to rock said lever about the pin of the locked shifting member.

4. In a ratio changing mechanism, a housing, a longitudinally extending guide having vertically disposed flanges, vertically disposed shifting members slidable along said flanges, said shifting members carrying said shifting members having a pin, a lever having terminal openings receiving said pins, means to lock'either of said shifting members from reciprocation on its flange and means to rock said lever about the pin of the locked shifting member, said locking means comprising a rocksupported in said housing, said rockshaft having a crankpin adapted to engage a notch in one or the other of said shifting members and remotely positioned means to rotate said rockshaft.

5. In a ratio changing mechanism, a housing, a longitudinally extending guide having vertically disposed flanges, vertically disposed shifting members slidable along said flanges, said shifting members carrying projecting arms to engage slidable members of said transmission, each of said shifting members having a pin, a lever having terminal openings receiving said pins, means to lock either of said. shifting members fromreciprocation on its flange and means to rock pin of the locked shifting said lever about the member, said lever rocking means being a shaft journalled for rotation in said housing, said shaft having a crank arm and pin, said lever having an opening to receive said crankpin, and remotely positioned means to rotate said shaft.

projecting arms to engage slidable members of said transmission, each of i 

